Your contact
Customer and Information Centre
Registration for small-scale hydropower plant
There are three involved in registering for cost-covering feed-in remuneration:
Here you will find information on each of these three steps.
Online tariff calculator
Our online tariff calculator helps you to calculate the likely remuneration rate for a small-scale hydropower plant.
Registration
There are two ways to register your small-scale hydropower plant for feed-in remuneration:
- Use our online form. Simply complete the form on the calculator and send it to us by post.
- You can also complete the form by hand. To do this, just save the form, print it out and fill it in by hand.
Note: whichever way you choose, you must send the signed form to Swissgrid by post, since the date of the postmark counts as the date of registration in accordance with the Energy Ordinance.
Registration using the online form
- Fill in the online form with the required information. The information will then be transferred and sent to your e-mail address in PDF format.
- You can then print out the PDF with your registration data. Any corrections may be entered by hand. Sign the document, enter the place and date and send the documents to Swissgrid by post. You will find the address on the first page of the PDF. The documents must be sent by post because the date of the postmark counts as the date of registration in accordance with the Energy Ordinance.
- As soon as we have processed your application, you will receive notification of the status of your registration.
Registration using the paper form
- Save the application form from the website or request the
documents from the Swissgrid Customer and Information
Centre:
Phone +41 848 014 014, Fax +41 58 580 21 21, info@swissgrid.ch - Print out the application form.
- Complete all the fields.
- Sign the form and send it to Swissgrid by post.
Note: Please complete all the fields in block capitals. Do not forget to enter the place and date and sign your application!
Download paper form (PDF / 39kB)
You will receive a decision once Swissgrid has checked your application. This decision will inform you:
- Whether your project or your plant is eligible for funding by CRF (positive decision).
- Whether your project or plant is eligible for funding, but has been placed on the waiting list (waiting-list decision).
- Whether your plant is not eligible for funding (negative decision).
Positive decision: If you receive a positive decision, it will be accompanied by additional important information. For example, we will calculate the provisional remuneration rate for your plant. This decision will also inform you of the deadlines for the submission of notifications on project progress and commissioning. Your entitlement to funding is dependent on these deadlines being met. Please take note of this information in your decision!
Waiting-list decision: If you receive a waiting-list decision, it means that your project or your plant is eligible for funding. A waiting-list decision means that no further funding is currently available and your project has therefore been placed on the waiting list. A waiting-list decision will therefore contain no deadlines for the submission of notifications on project progress and commissioning. As soon as CRF funding becomes available for your project or plant, you will receive a positive decision from us. This decision will be accompanied by additional important information, as described in the point above (positive decision).
Negative decision: If your project or plant does not meet the eligibility requirements of the Energy Ordinance, you will receive a negative decision. You will then have the opportunity to make improvements to your project or plant in line with the requirements, and then re-apply.
Project progress report
You must submit the project progress report to Swissgrid by the
deadline indicated in the positive decision (four years from the
date on which the decision is issued).
The project progress report must be accompanied by the following
documents:
- Planning permission
- Licence
- Grid operator’s opinion
Please use the following form for the project progress report:
Notification of project progress (PDF / 101kB)
Please note: The following plants must be authorised by the Swiss High Voltage Current Inspectorate ESTI before construction may commence:
- Single-phase plants with a connection capacity of over 3 kVA
- Multi-phase plants with a connection capacity of over 10 kVA
The corresponding forms and additional information are available on ESTI’s website www.esti.admin.ch. The ESTI supervises and monitors construction, operation and maintenance of electrical plants. ESTI also checks and approves heavy and light current plants for public and private power supply. (Further information: Swiss High Voltage Current Inspectorate ESTI, Luppmenstrasse 1, CH-8320 Fehraltorf).
Notification of commissioning
You must commission the plant by the deadline indicated in the positive decision and submit the notification of commissioning to Swissgrid. Notification of commissioning is also required if your plant is already in operation at the time of the application.
The notification of commissioning must be accompanied by the following documents:
- Acceptance protocol with detailed technical description
- For plants above 30 kVA: «Verified plant data of production plant» form (see below). This form must be verified by the grid operator (if legally separate from the plant operator).. Please submit the certification no later than the following quarter.
- Plants above 30 kVA: «Verified plant data of production plant» form (see below). This form must be verified by an auditor accredited in this field. A list of accredited auditors can be found here. Please submit the certification no later than the following month.Please submit the certification no later than the following month.
Remuneration for energy fed into the grid and intake of the energy from plants with measured load profiles is carried out via the balance group for renewable energies (BG-RE). The BG-RE is managed by Energie Pool Schweiz AG.
The BG-RE will send you a contract in advance of the commissioning of your plant. This contract governs the remuneration and also the commencement of production for plants with measured load profiles. More information on the BG-RE can be obtained at www.energie-pool.ch.
Please use the following form for the notification of commissioning.
Notification of commissioning (PDF / 101kB)
Verified plant data of production plant (PDF / 127kB)
Guides & forms
Our comprehensive instructions guide you step-by-step through both registration options.
Download Guidelines small hydropower plant (PDF / 65kB)
Forms:
Property owner agreement for the compensatory feed-in tariff (PDF / 25kB)
Please do not hesitate to contact the Swissgrid Customer and Information Centre if you have any further questions.
